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And, damn, what an incredible three months it’s been.
I may have fallen in love with Rose when we were in Hawaii, but the days and weeks and months that have followed have shown me just how real that love is. I love the kindness of her soul, the passion she puts into everything she does, and the way she looks at me whenever I play a song for her…among so much else.
I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together.
“Yep,” I say. “We’re really going to a luau. Thought it would be fun and remind us of our time in Hawaii.”
“Well, in that case…” Rose sidles over to me, reaches up and slides her fingers into my hair, and tugs my face down so she can slip her tongue between my lips. I return her kiss and feel the slow burn of her body heating up everywhere she presses against me.
“I like being reminded of Hawaii,” she murmurs.
“I do too,” I say as I reluctantly break away from her kiss. “But we need to get going. We have reservations. And if you keep that up, we’re not going anywhere for days.”
I playfully swat at her plump ass as she sashays away from me in nothing but a little skirt and lace bra. The only thing that keeps me from tossing her onto the bed are the plans I’ve made for us tonight.
“Your loss, pal,” she says, shooting me a quick grin before she slips a blouse over her head.
“Trust me, I’ll make up for lost time later.” I can’t help but walk over to her, brush her hair to the side, and press my lips to the creamy nape of her neck. I’m rewarded with an intake of breath that makes my pants instantly tighter. “Fuck. Okay. We really do have to go.”
We take an Uber to the beachside restaurant—I anticipate a lot of champagne consumption tonight—and I jump out and run around to open Rose’s door. With my hand on the small of her back, I lead her through the restaurant to the beachside patio, right to a table near the front of the stage.
“You were worried about us being late? We’re the only ones here!” she says, laughing as she glances around at the empty tables.
“I’m sure more people will show up,” I say, pulling out a chair for her. She takes a seat and looks around. “God, this is so pretty. I love the flower arrangements. Wonder what florist they used. I’m always on the lookout for new vendors…” She leans forward and inspects the flowers on the table.
“Hey, stop thinking about work,” I say, nudging her. “Come on. Let’s get a drink.”
Fifteen minutes and one Mai Tai each later, Rose and I are still the only people sitting out on the patio. A group of Polynesian musicians are getting their instruments set up on the stage.
“I can’t believe there’s no one else here yet,” says Rose, glancing around again.
“Guess it’ll be a private show for us, then,” I say.
Her eyes come back to meet mine and she narrows them at me. “Are you up to something, Evan?”
“Me? Never.”
She’s about to press further when the singer up on the stage switches on the mic and introduces himself and the band.
“This first song is about true love,” he says, his voice full of warmth.
We both turn to give our attention to the band. With the slack-tuned guitar and handheld drums and the slightly different arrangement, it’s not immediately obvious that they’re playing the song I wrote for Rose. But as the melody ofOne Night in Hawaiiprogresses, I see the recognition take over her face.
“Evan!” Happy tears gather in the corners of her eyes as she glances over at me. She reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. I keep holding her hand as we watch them finish performing the song.
“I can’t believe you planned this,” she says to me when the song is over. She moves around the table and slips into my lap, pressing her lips to mine. “This was so sweet.You’reso sweet. How’d I get so lucky?”
“I’m the lucky one, Rose.” As the band starts to play another song, I stand up, picking her up in the process and placing her on her feet. Before she realizes what’s happening, I’m on my knee in front of her, ring box in hand.
Her hands fly up to her mouth to stifle her gasp.
“I love you so much, sweetheart,” I say. “These past three months together have been incredible, and I can’t imagine the rest of my life without you. I want to have babies with you. Grow old with you. Write you love song after love song for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me, Rose?”
My heart is beating so damn hard that it feels like a freight train is about to burst out of my chest. Rose hasn’t said anything yet. She’s still just staring down at me in shock.
I never considered that Rose might say no, but right now, looking up at her, I’m suddenly terrified that she might.
“I’ll give anything to hear a yes from you right now, baby. If you want me to stop singing and work in an office, I will. Just say it. Whatever you want, it’s yours.” My words choke out and almost stick in my throat, but I mean every single one.
